Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism
HUM 307
415-338-2083

Faculty

Programs

Program Scope

The Bachelor of Arts in Journalism prepares students for careers in journalism. This is
accomplished by providing instruction that requires students to demonstrate a working
knowledge of the skills, laws, ethics, power, and responsibilities of the news media. A
strong liberal arts education also is required.

The main goals of the program's skills courses are to help students become accurate and
thorough researchers, precise and graceful writers, technically and aesthetically fine
photojournalists. Introductory courses emphasize the need to think and write clearly. Many
students choose the major because these skills provide excellent preparation for numerous
occupations, not only for journalism.

Writing students are required to take introductory courses in research, reporting,
writing, digital skills, and editing. Photojournalism students are required to take introductory courses
in writing, digital skills, and reporting as well as courses in basic photography and news photography.
Advanced courses are more specializedfeature writing, depth reporting,
public journalism, public affairs
reporting, on-line journalism, computer-assisted reporting, magazine writing, and multimedia
for writers and editors; newspaper, magazine, documentary, and studio photography for
photographers; multimedia, computer-assisted reporting, and design courses for
on-line news students. In order to understand the role of journalism in society, students also are
required to take courses in journalism ethics, law, history, and cultural diversity. Students
are strongly urged to develop speaking, writing, and listening competency in a second
language.

To give students pre-professional experience, the program requires students to work on
a laboratory publication with a world-wide on-line and broad print circulation. Students may
also elect to work on a department newsletter. These publications are
produced by classes and are taken for credit. Consistent with the department's commitment
to protect students' First Amendment rights, students have editorial control of the
publications.

To help students stay on top of the challenges they face, all journalism majors and minors
are required to consult with a faculty adviser each semester. They can
choose their advisers or have one assigned by the department office. Students are asked to
provide advisers with ongoing records of their complete academic record for
the department advising folders.

Services are available to all journalism students at the department's Center for
Integration and Improvement of Journalism. The privately funded center was established in 1990 to create programs that increase retention rates and job/internship placement of journalism students and to increase ethnic minority enrollment and graduation rates. It conducts special programs for high school and community college students, high school journalism advisers, and for Bay Area journalists in both mainstream and ethnic news media.

Through the center, department faculty
and students and center staff engage in research that has had a national and
international impact on journalism, with an emphasis on research about the coverage on
ethnic minority people and issues. Since 1993, the center's News Watch Project has
evaluated the way journalism covers race and gender issues, in association with the Unity 94
and Unity 99 national conventions of ethnic journalism organizations.

The department is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and
Mass Communication (ACEJMC). It is a member of the California Newspaper Publishers
Association and sponsors student chapters of the Society of Professional
Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association.

The faculty includes nine full-time members and a fluctuating number of part-time
instructors, most of them active journalists. Faculty encourage and assist students in
finding jobs and internships. Coaching and mentoring are provided by Bay Area journalists who volunteer to work with any student enrolled in department skills courses. Students may earn up to three units in JOUR 409 for journalism internships. They consult the department office about how to arrange credit for internships.

Career Outlook

The writing, editing, photography, and on-line news skills taught in the department
prepare students for entry level jobs on a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and new
media. The critical thinking and clear expression that are taught in department courses
prepare students well for jobs in broadcast journalism and in many fields outside
journalism. Because of the department's national reputation for excellent preparation of
students and for being ethnically diverse, students in the department are recruited from
throughout the nation for internships and entry-level jobs in journalism.

To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, students must complete the core
requirements of nineteen journalism units and take a total of 40 journalism units. For
students in news-editorial and magazine sequences, only nine journalism units may be lower
division--JOUR 200 and JOUR 221 (plus JOUR 235 for photojournalism students), or their
equivalents taken elsewhere. Courses numbered 300 and above are not open to freshmen. The
department does not require but strongly recommends students have their own personal
computers and modems. Upon enrolling in journalism classes, students are required to sign up for an SFSU e-mail account.

In order to assure that every journalism student's education is as rich and varied as
possible, the department has established these requirements:

A journalism major must complete nine upper-division units in one of the areas of study approved by faculty advisers. A list of approved disciplines for this requirement is posted at
www.journalism.sfsu.edu. Majors must have this nine-unit block approved in writing by a department adviser before enrolling in the courses.

A journalism major must have a minimum of 80 non-journalism units in the 120 minimal
overall units required for graduation. These 80 units must include at least 65 units in
liberal arts and science courses. Included in these 80 units must be the nine-unit upper division block in a single subject area chosen in consultation with the adviser. The 80-unit requirement is consistent with the department's philosophy that a well-rounded education is crucial preparation for journalism and is consistent with the standards of the national accrediting agency (ACEJMC) that evaluates journalism education programs. These
standards exclude classes in broadcasting, public relations, and advertising from
qualifying as non-journalism units. Journalism majors may take more journalism units
than the 40 required.

Program

Units

Core course units

28

Sequence course units

12

Total required Journalism units

40

Non-journalism units (The 80 must include the 9-unit upper
division block in a single subject chosen in consultation with an adviser and at least 65
units in liberal arts and sciences. Classes in broadcasting, public relations, and
advertising cannot qualify as non-journalism units.)

For JOUR 335, completion of JOUR 235 (or its equivalent taken elsewhere) with at least
C in department-administered photojournalism competency test.

For JOUR 435, completion of JOUR 221, JOUR 300, and JOUR 335 with at least a
C in each.

For JOUR 535, completion of JOUR 335 with at least a C.

For JOUR 609, Publication Laboratory:

News-editorial sequence students must complete JOUR 300 and an advanced writing course
with at least a C in both.

Magazine sequence students must complete JOUR 300 and JOUR 595 with at least a
C in
both.

Photojournalism sequence students must complete JOUR 221 and JOUR 235 (or its
equivalent taken elsewhere), and JOUR 335, all with at least a C.

On-line news sequence students must complete JOUR 300 and JOUR 395 with at
least a grade of C in both.

Skills Courses

Skills courses offered by the Department of Journalism impart the various
skills and crafts necessary to the practice of journalism. There are three
levels of skills courses: foundational, advanced, and laboratory. The laboratory
skills course provides students a culminating opportunity to integrate skills
acquired in foundational and advanced courses, working and learning
collaboratively. Journalism majors and minors must earn grades of C or better in
all foundational, advanced, and laboratory skills courses.

This program is not a requirement for any credential or degree but is intended to give
students an opportunity to pursue their interests in journalism in an organized way. A
total of 25 units is required, approved by an adviser.